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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: leaves · bowl · jam · pit · stem · cabinet · root · pound

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. root — the cause
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. stem — to come from
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. pit — a hole
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. root — of a plant
  17. root — of a word
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. pit — in a race
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. leaves — lets stay

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com